The Rise of Christianity

1
The Rise of Christianity

• Chapter 6, Section 3

2
The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• Romans Conquer Judea
• Rome conquers Judea, home of the Jews makes it
  part of the empire in A.D. 6
• Many Jews believe in a coming Messiah (meaning
  anointed one), or savior, who will eventually
  free them.

3
The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• Jesus of Nazareth
• Jesus was born in Bethlehem sometime around 6 to
  4 B.C.
• He was raised in Nazareth in the province of
  Galilee.
• He is a carpenter until about the age 30 when he
  begins preaching.

Mosaic of Jesus at Church of San Apollinare Nuovo
in Ravenna, Italy.
4
The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• Jesus of Nazareth (continued)
• According to the four Gospels (of Matthew, Mark,
  Luke, and John) Jesus is said to perform
  miracles.
• He stresses a personal relationship with God,
  love for friends and enemies.

5
The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• A Growing Movement
• Apostles-from the Greek word apostolos means
  literally someone sent out. These are twelve
  men who are close disciples of Jesus.
• Jesus ignores wealth and status his message
  appeals to the poor.

Sermon on the Mount by Danish painter Carl
Heinrich Bloch, 1890.
6
The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• Jesus Death
• Many Jews view Jesus as the Messiah others see
  him as a false teacher.
• Roman governor Pontius Pilate sentences Jesus to
  be crucified.
• Apostles believe Jesus resurrected from the dead
  and ascended into heaven.
• Jesus comes to be called Christos, the Greek
  word for savior. The word Christian and
  Christianity is derived from that word.

7
Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Growth of Christianity
• Followers spread Christianitynew religion based
  on the teachings of Jesus.
• The term Christian to designate followers of
  Christianity was first used in Antioch (see Acts
  11 26).

8
Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Pauls Mission
• Was originally named Saul, and was a member of
  the strict Jewish sect of Pharisees.
• He persecutes Christians at first, but on his way
  to Damascus to arrest some Christians he has an
  experience where he claimed Jesus appeared to him
  calling him to be an Apostle to the Gentiles.

Saint Paul, by El Greco, circa 1608-1614
9
Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Paul spends his life preaching and interpreting
  Christianity.
• Paul stresses Jesus is the Son of God who died
  for peoples sins.
• Paul declared that Christianity was open to all,
  Gentile as well as Jew.
• The common languages of Latin and Greek, spoken
  throughout the empire, helps the spread of the
  Christian message. The New Testament is written
  entirely in common (Koine) Greek spoken by most
  people who live in the eastern Mediterranean
  region.

10
Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Paul is the author of epistles or letters to the
  churches. All of these letters existing were
  included in the New Testament.
• Romans
• 1 and 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 and 2 Thessalonians
• The Pastoral Epistles to Timothy and Titus
• Philemon

11
Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Jewish Rebellion
• Jews rebel against Rome in 66 A.D.
• Romans storm Jerusalem and destroy the Temple in
  70 A.D.
• Another Jewish rebellion occurs in 132 A.D.,
  which the Romans crush. Jews and ethnically
  Jewish Christians are barred from Jerusalem.
• Diasporacenturies of Jewish exilefrom the Greek
  word for dispersal.

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Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Persecution of the Christians
• Christians wont worship the Roman gods or the
  emperor. They are considered enemies of the
  State.
• Roman rulers use Christians as scapegoats for
  hard times.
• As Pax Romana crumbles, Christians are crucified,
  burned, and killed in the arena.

14
A World Religion

• Christianitys Expansion
• Christianity becomes a powerful force and appeals
  to people because of these reasons
• embraces all people
• gives hope to the powerless
• appeals to those repelled by extravagance of
  Roman life
• offers a personal relationship with God
• promises eternal life after death

15
A World Religion

• Constantine Accepts Christianity
• ConstantineRoman emperor battles for control of
  Rome in A.D. 312.
• He has a vision of a crossthe Christian
  symboland places it on soldiers shields.
• He believes Christian God helped him win the
  battle and legalizes Christianity.
• In A.D. 380 the Emperor Theodosius makes
  Christianity the religion of the empire.

16
A World Religion

• Early Christian Church
• Priests direct a single church (parish).
• Bishops supervise numerous churches (diocese)
• Apostle Peter is considered the first bishop of
  Rome, therefore, the clergy trace their authority
  to him.
• Popemeans father or head of the Christian
  Church. Rome becomes the center of the Church.

17
A World Religion

• A Single Voice
• Church leaders compile standard Christian beliefs
  in the New Testament
• The New Testament is added to the Hebrew Bible
  (renamed the Old Testament)
• The Fathers of the Church
• Early writers and scholars of Christianity are
  called Fathers of the Church
• Augustine, bishop in North Africa, is one of the
  most important Fathers
• He stressed the importance of receiving the
  sacraments to obtain Gods grace
• He wrote his most famous book, The City of God.

18
Person(s) Role in the Rise and Spread of Christianity
1. Jesus of Nazareth
2. apostles
3. Paul
4. Pontius Pilate
5. Constantine
6. Peter
7. Augustine
19
Acts 1126

• and when he had found him, he brought him to
  Antioch. For a whole year they met with the
  church and taught a great many people. And in
  Antioch the disciples were first called
  Christians. (ESV)